Schumer Urges Back-Up Cell Service

ALBANY (WENY)---Superstorm Sandy didn't just leave millions of people in the dark. It also left many people without cell phone service. Now, New York's Senior senator wants to make sure that doesn't happen again.Senator Chuck Schumer is now urging the Federal Communications Commission to require cell phone companies to set up backup emergency power sources to prevent mass outages in the future. He says it should happen at minimal cost. Schumer says a nationwide plan to require power reserves for cell towers would help ensure no disruption in coverage following severe weather, a terrorist attack or any other events that may cause power failures."The goal is simple, that no matter what the disaster, there's uninterrupted cell phone service four our first responders and for our citizens who lost power and need food and need to report fires, need to communicate in every way," says Schumer, who added "I have had preliminary conversations with the FCC and various companies. It's clear they recognize the problem and want to reach a solution. So, while we don't know what that will be, and we can't be certain that we will get it done, I'm optimistic that if we sit down at the table, we can get it done, and today, I'm making public our big push to get this done."

A spokesman for the FCC said the agency will look at whether to require backup power.